Spirited Back
by BlackSongBird
Summary: It's seven years after the movie ended, and there are problems in the Spirit world. The bath house is under new manegment, and this new owner is more cruel than Yubaba. What more, they have a plan to take over the human world as well.
1. Prologue & It all begins

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, or anything for that matter in Spirited Away, but any OC's in here are mine.

Well, my second story up here and it's going to be multiple chapters! To any of you who read my Demon Diary Fanfic as well, thank you so much. I'm going to try and keep with the Japanese names here (for instance, while Chihiro calls Zeniba "Granny" in the English version, she will be known as Oba-san by Chihiro.) This fanfic also takes place about seven years after the movie ends, and the prologue is just going to recap the ending of the movie. If you have any questions, ask in a review and I will reply in the next chapter, or e-mail me directly at R&R please! Well, here it goes! I present to you:

Spirited Back

Prologue

The 10-year old girl clung to her mother's arm as they walked through the tunnel. Her temptation to look back at the world she had just left was great, but she heeded the boy's words, and looked stubbornly ahead. When they reached the end, the car was still there, but covered in leaves. As her parents inspected the vehicle, Chihiro finally looked back at the dark portal. An engine started and her mom called her to the car. With a final look back, she turned and got into the car.

"A new home and a new school. It is a bit scary." Her father said to her as they drove away through the forest to their new home.

Chihiro thought back to everything that had happened, and laughed softly inside. "I think I can handle it" was all she said.

Chapter One

(Chihiro)  
7 years later…

"Chihiro, come down! Your breakfast is getting cold!" Mom's voice abruptly sliced through the absolutely wonderful dream I had been having, forcing my mind into the waking world. Groaning, I sat up and stretched the sleep from my limbs, hearing various joints crack. We had been living here for seven years now, and I had grown to like it. Sighing, I preformed the difficult task of placing my bare feet on the floor and forcing them to hold the entire weight of my body. Not that I was fat mind you. I was a healthy weight, not sticks and bones, and most of my weight was muscle. Yawning so wide I was afraid my head might split in two, I padded down the hallway to the bathroom. What I saw terrified me. My hair, grown down to my waist and normally pulled back into a braid after I had abandoned the ponytail of my childhood, was sticking out all over the place, and looked like something had made its nest in it. Black eyes stared out from under eyelids half-lidded with sleep, and I looked down right terrible.

"Chihiro! Hurry up! If you're not down here in fifteen minutes…" Mother let the unspoken threat hang in the air and I set about accomplishing the morning tasks, in half the time it normally takes. I had stayed up late last night studying for a big history exam, and I was paying the price. Once I seemed to look half-way decent, I changed into the school uniform consisting of a knee-length dark blue skirt, knee-socks, a white blouse and a dark blue jacket that had the school's insignia on the left breast pocket. I braided my hair back, making sure that the hair tie my friends had made me was securely around my wrist, and headed downstairs, grabbing my bag on the way. I inhaled my breakfast which consisted of a Pop-Tart on the way out the door and hopped into the car. Tossing my bag into the back, I slide the key into the ignition and pulled out of the driveway.

As I drove, my mind wandered back to the dream I had been having. As was usual for me nowadays, it was about Haku. The last time I had seen him, he had sent me across the river after I had made him promise me that I would see him again. But I hadn't, and after seven years I found myself wondering if he even remembered me. Maybe…maybe he had found another…maybe….

_Stop it!_ A voice in my mind shouted. _He probably wasn't able to get away from Yubaba; you know very well what a horrible old hag she is! If he could get away, he would've come to you long before this!_

I remembered vividly how horrible Yubaba could be when she wanted to, how she had turned my parents into pigs, and made me her slave by stealing my name, and giving me the one of Sen. I had almost forgotten my real name until Haku had told me it again. Haku…..

_Okay, change of subject! _The voice shouted again. _Concentrate on the History exam! You're going to need all the help you can get!_

It was a beautiful day out, so I took my lunch outside with my friends, Akiko and Naoko. Akiko is the epitome of fashion, is always up to date on the hottest styles, and never has a hair out of place. But despite her looks, she is the most laid back person I have ever met. She loves to gossip, but never spreads any rumors that she doesn't have any true basis on. Naoko is tall, dark and handsome, and the only real piercing in his ear is a single hole in his earlobe, in which he normally has a small gold hoop. All the others are clip-on, but look real enough to fool anyone he hasn't told.

"So Chihiro," Akiko began, taking a bite of her yogurt, "How do you think you did on the test?"

I groaned, "I bombed it, I know I did!" with that I dug into my salad. We proceeded to talk, discussing our day so far, what our plans were for the weekend, etcetera etcetera. It was then I noticed that Akiko had been silent for a record of five minutes. I looked up to see her gawking at something that seemed to be behind me. Turning around I gasped in shock. A boy stood there looking down at me. He seemed to be about nineteen, tall, with black hair that seemed to fall at his shoulders, but I couldn't tell since his hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, but it was his eyes that truly rendered me speechless. They were a dark emerald green…the exact same shade as…

"Haku…" I breathed out, recognizing him immediately. This must be a dream…Haku was here?

"Chihiro," Akiko nudged me suddenly, "introduce us to your friend. You seem to know him."

"Ah…Haku…" I began, not trusting my voice completely, "these are my friends, Akiko, and Naoko. Guys, this is Haku…I met him when I was younger…"

Haku bent down close to me and whispered in my ear. "I need to talk to you, meet me as soon as you can at the entrance to the spirit world." His breath on my ear sent a tingle up my spine. Still not trusting my voice, I nodded and felt more than anything him leave.

"So, come on!" Akiko stated. "Give me _all_ the details!"

In response, I took another bite of my salad.

As soon as I got home, I told my mom that I was going out for a walk, changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt along with a pair of sneakers, and headed down the hill behind our house to the old road my father had taken all that time ago as a hopeful short-cut to our home. I walked down the path, past the small shrines and statues, and soon I made it to the old building. Standing by the small statue were two figures who I knew very well: Haku, and a tall woman with long brown hair and black eyes like mine.

"Well Sen, I see you've finally grown some, although you are still kind of a shrimp." She stated with the same cocky air to her voice.

"Lin!" I exclaimed and ran to her, throwing my arms around her in a hug. She made a big show of being hugged by a human, but returned it good-naturedly.

"Lin, remember why we're here." Haku said his voice icy. Lin instantly became solemn, and stood up straight, biting her lower lip. Haku then turned to me. "Chihiro, I need to ask you a favor, a really important one. I don't want to, but if I don't, millions of lives could be at stake."

I looked at him, to see if he was joking. He wasn't. Lin had looked away and was drawing patterns in the dirt with her toes. "What is it Haku?"

He sighed deeply. "I need you to come back to the spirit world."

Well? What did you all think? I am looking for someone to help me edit this, so if anyone is interested, tell me! I'm preparing to write the second chapter as I speak, well, type, but please, review, tell me what you think, and maybe I'll put the second chapter up within a few days, if I get enough reviews. Criticisms is also okay, but if it's a lot, please e-mail it to me, my e-mail's in my profile and at the beginning of the chapter.


	2. Interview with Him

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply, see first chapter

Woot! I actually decided to keep up with this story, AND WRITE A SECOND CHAPTER! Actually, I've been working on this for a while, but I decided to suck it up and finish it. Now, the thank-you's to the devoted people who reviewed as of July 9th, 2005:

Scorpion29: worships Thank you so much for the great title idea for this fanfic, and for agreeing to create _SOME_ of the Oc's for this (to get an idea of how great her Oc's are, read her fics…)

GreenEyedJo: Thank you for your review. Description is kindof a specialty, fills up space.

DnDGamergirl: does "DnD" stand for Dungeons and Dragons…? If so, AWSOME! Thank you as well for your review and in answer to your question…well…this chapter might have an answer.

And I'm sorry if the first chapter and prologue seemed a bit short, it was four pages on my computer! I may not be updating for a bit, as I will be out of town from the 16th of July to the 25th. But I will be a good girl and bring a notebook so I may write out the chapter and then type it when I get back. I do too much for you people….

Here's the line you requested

Chapter Two

(Haku)

"I need you to come back to the spirit world." As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. The look on Chihiro's face, a look of shock, and some fear, wrenched at my soul. "Chihiro, please listen...I really don't want to ask this of you, but we need you. The bath house has been put under new management, and he is just as bad, if not worse, than Yubaba. A small resistance group has been formed, but it's not enough. We found a prophetess, who said that one of the human race will help significantly in what will turn out to be a war. You are the only one I can turn to Chihiro." I deliberately left out the second part of the prophecy, the part that tore at my heart every time I thought about it.

"Sen, please…you don't know what he's doing…" Lin broke in, sounding desperate. "He's destroying everything we know. He cares nothing for his workers, just for how much he's earning. When anything goes wrong, he places the blame on a worker and they are never seen again, but screams can be heard at night. Please…."

I looked over at Chihiro again, noticing for the first time how much she had changed. Her beautiful brown hair was much longer and had been pulled back away from her face in a braid, and I noticed that she wore minimal makeup, nothing too noticeable at a first glance. Her expression showed that she was torn between what to do; help us, or stay here with the life she had known for seven years. There was no reason why she would help us really; this was a problem with our world, not hers…

I sighed, and pulled a thin silver chain out of my pocket. Hanging from it was a small, silver disk with runes engraved on it. "Take this then, maybe it will help in your decision. It will allow you to see what is happening in the spirit world, but only when you're asleep. We will come back in a week for your decision. If you wish to stay here, we will let you without any arguing." Lin began to protest at this, but I silenced her. "I will not force you Chihiro, your choice won't diminish my…impression…of you." I had been about to say "feelings", but it _had_ been seven years, and she was an attractive young woman. Any number of guys, guys from her own world, could have caught her attention and her heart. It was best not to say anything. Placing the chain around her neck, I nodded to Lin and turned and walked back through the doorway.

"You idiot!" Lin exclaimed as we passed back into the spirit world, "You know as well as I how important she is to regaining our freedom!"

"You wouldn't understand my reasons Lin." I stated, walking at a fast pace. The spell Zeniiba had placed on us allowing us a temporary release from His power was fading fast, and we needed to be back at our rightful spots as soon as possible. When we reached the onsen1, Lin quickly darted off into a servant's entrance while I was forced to stroll through the main entrance. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I made for the nearest elevator, both customers and workers alike. When I made it to the elevator, I pulled the lever to go up and slumped back against the wall. What little of the spell was left, I manipulated to protect my memories of our resistance, and everything that had just happened, blocking myself from reaching it completely. In its place, I built a new memory, of a mission to make sure that everything was going in His favor.

The elevator dinged and I got out, making my way to the next one which was across the room. The floor was packed and noisy when the elevator doors opened, but as soon as people started to notice me, they shut up and moved to the edges of the room, creating a path for me. I kept my head bowed as I walked, as He expected of me, and entered the final elevator. It was occupied, but as soon as they saw me, they poured out and away. So once again I was alone, to contemplate my thoughts in peace.

Having reached the top floor, I walked over to the massive doors. Yubaba's door knocker had been replaced by a new one; a grotesque looking creature that bit the hand of anyone unwanted in His chambers. Gripping the handle firmly, I landed 3 sharp knocks on the door, and released it, feeling His cold presence creep up my arm like ice. The doors creaked open and I made my way down the endless hallways, trying not to look at the horrifying statues that lined the path. They were one of His "hobbies". He created these monsters, out of the bits and pieces of those who displeased Him no doubt, and then turned them to stone.

I reached the last door and hesitated, not wanting to face Him again.

"Haku, come in." His sleek voice slid through the door to my ears, in what seemed to be a kind, inviting way. I just stood there, trying to gather what courage one has left after hearing that voice. It took on a harsher, more annoyed tone.

"Nigihayami Kohakunushi2, I command you to ENTER AT ONCE!" As these words were spoken, my arms and legs moved of their own accord, as if on marionette strings, pushing the door open and walking inside. I kept my head bowed, eyes lowered, not wanting to see His evil form.

"Now…isn't that better?" He asked, as two snakes slithered across the room towards me, an involuntary shudder passed through my body as they moved over my feet, wrapping themselves around my ankles.

Looking around the room, I noticed that another person was there…a girl sat in a chair near a wall, looking like a puppet whose strings had been severed. She was limp, with long dark brown hair cascading over her shoulders…and pale eyes…it was Sakura…Lin would be distraught.

"Now Haku, you know better than that…look at Me while I'm talking to you!"

I swallowed and raised my head, slowly taking in His form. On the outside, He appeared human, with black hair slicked back and a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of His nose. He wore an American style business suit, black of course, with shiny black shoes. But to one who was under His control, He was the thing nightmares were made of. He could control one's body with a single sentence, and walked through one's dreams as if they were His own private garden, weeding out some thoughts and planting new ones. He knew everything, except what was blocked off by powerful magic, such as the spells Zeniiba had placed on Lin and I, and any others of our group that worked here. They weren't noticed by Him, yet, for all we had to do was replace the blocked memories and thoughts with others, ones that pleased Him.

"I'll ask nicely once, Haku…where were you today? I didn't see you or Lin as a matter of fact, at all today, nor did anyone else…and I _know_ they aren't lying…" A grin crept over His features as He finished His sentence, as if remembering some sadistic memory.

Taking a deep breath, I mentally skimmed my story, it seemed alright…

"I was on a scouting mission, my Lord, making sure that all was going according to Your plan. There were a few brief uprisings, but they were quelled quickly, and efficiently. All else was going as You plan."

He sat there a moment, pondering my story, then stood up and walked around to the front of His desk, leaning against it. "Are you sure that you speak the truth?"

"Search my mind if You must, You will find it exactly as I told You."

He moved closer to me, reaching out a hand and placing the fingertips on my forehead. I closed my eyes and bit my lip at this, despising His cold, heartless touch. It felt as if those fingers were slipping through my skull to my mind, opening everything to Him. Firmly, I clamped down on the memories I had created for Him, stabilizing them, as He carelessly riffled through my thoughts like a book being skimmed through to the good parts. When He reached the one He was looking for, he seemed to scrutinize it, picking at it, noting every detail, trying to find something off…

Suddenly, my grip on it slipped, and an image of Chihiro popped into my mind. Quickly, I hid it, but it was too late…He had seen…

"Oh…now who is this?" His voice was questioning, with a hint of suspicion mixed in. "A lover perhaps? Should we….dispose of this distraction?"

"NO!" The word left my mouth, and I tore away from His grasp, wincing as He was torn from my mind. I turned to run, but the snakes tightened suddenly around my ankles, sending me sprawling over the floor. As I began to get back up, I was forced down again by a knee pressed into my back as He knelt beside me, His mouth almost touching my ear.

"I have a feeling that you have gone against My wishes…I don't know how, but I will soon find out…I have My ways…" He stood, and with a single, hissing word, two…creatures…ambled into the room and seized me. I tried to break free, but a hairy fist to the side of my head sent me into a daze. I felt as if I was floating. Somehow managing to turn my head, I saw once again Sakura, still sitting there, although now something was different…her eyes, if possible, held more sorrow then before.

_I won't let you die, Haku…oh no…I still have uses for you…but believe Me, you'll wish you were dead… _I heard His voice in my mind, and I knew it was all over…

LINE AGAIN

Well? What did you think? Just so ya know, Sakura is one of the many OC's that will be making their debut in this, and she now belongs to Scorpion29…sigh something else to add to my disclaimer…but she's gonna turn out great, along with the others I hope. Please review this, even if it's just to say that you read it. Well, see you in the next chapter…of there is one….reviews help the creative process just FYI

1 Onsenbath house

2 Haku's real name(Japanese)


	3. The Resistance

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer once again, some of the OC's belong to Scorpion29, the rest to me, and the plot is mine.

No, I'm not dead, I just had to endure my junior year of high school, hence the long wait for this chapter. I really hope you enjoy it, thank you to my loyal followers, you know who you are.

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Chapter Three

(Siven)

I paced around the small underground cavern, waiting for information, any at all. It had been three days…THREE WHOLE DAYS…since Haku and Lin had left, since most everyone had left, and not a word from anyone. There were only a few people left here to endure my suffering with me. Firice was a spirit who had shown up in the last year and didn't talk much, only when he deemed it absolutely necessary. He sported dark flame colored hair and blue eyes the same color, and harshness, of ice. His skin was pale, and he had a gaunt look about him, like a fugitive on the run. His eyes were always darting around, taking in every detail around him, sometimes staring at something insignificant, like a coffee cup, for hours it seemed like, studying its craftsmanship and such. Okay, maybe a coffee cup wasn't insignificant these days, especially when it was full, but you know what I mean.

Mikhail was the other person left with me. He was a bit on the short side, around five feet two inches or such, with short, slightly messy dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Even though he was a shape shifter, a denizen of the Spirit realm, he absolutely _adored_ the human world, and would make very frequent trips back and forth between the two. As a result, he appeared in all ways to be human. The clothing he wore now included black baggy pants, which he called "cargo pants", with so many chains hanging off of them that he jingled every time he moved and a black "hoody" that was on the verge of being called ratty and was mainly being held together with safety pins. He also carried a messenger bag, for some odd reason, that sported several plastic rectangle key chains; each had a saying and sometimes a picture inside. These included, but definitely weren't limited to: "A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand", "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" and "I know I'm not perfect, but I'm so close it's scary." He was much more talkative than Firice, and always had a snide remark, an insult, or a weird nickname for everyone. But don't get me wrong, he's a pretty nice guy, a little weird sometimes, but nice.

Sighing I checked my watch for what had to be the fifth time in the past minute, and proceeded to pace, complaining to no one in particular.

"They should be back by now!" I grumbled, reaching for my coffee cup. Coffee was the sweet nectar these days that kept me somewhat sane, ever since my sake hoard had been confiscated. "I mean, not even sending a message…" Stalking over to the table, I snatched up my mug and took a long swig…only to spit it back out again. What was once a lovely cup of warm coffee with plenty of sugar and cream now tasted of…of something that definitely wasn't coffee.

Hearing a soft snickering combined with Mikhail's wild laughter, I looked up to see Firice staring own at me…and oh my…there was actually a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth! Glaring at him, I went over to the coffee pot, only to find that it was also empty.

"This is just _not_ my day!" I exclaimed to no one in particular, and to top it all off, when I opened the door in order to get another measure of coffee beans, I swear, one of the only worthwhile things that Mikhail has ever brought back from the human world, a girl with brown hair appeared out of nowhere and ran into me, knocking us both to the ground.

(Firice)

It had been worth expending the energy required to turn the strange human drink that Sivan had recently become obsessed with into pond sludge just to see the look on his face. However, the unexpected thrill of seeing Sivan knocked onto his ass by a shrimp of a girl really made my day. Letting a low chuckle pass my lips, I moved so I could see the girl more clearly. There wasn't much to laugh at these days, ever since the onsen had been taken over, so I wanted to imprint this moment forever in my memory. The girl, as I said, was short, with long brown hair pulled back into a disheveled braid, and was clad in what appeared to be a high school uniform. What made the whole thing so much better was the fact that the two had landed in a rather compromising position. Sivan was flat on his back, while the girl basically straddled his waist. Her skirt was torn in several places, and her shirt looked even worse, as if she had been running through a briar patch. This idea was made all the more plausible by the thin scratches I could see through the tears. When she pushed her self up, I noted that her black eyes were very expressive; the only emotions running through them at the moment though were fear and worry.

Hearing a noise behind me, I turned to see that Mikhail had retreated a few paces, and in doing so had tripped over the small table in the middle of the room. Disbelief showed in every move he made, in the way he stared at the girl. Looking back at her, I noted a reason that may have been the cause of Mikhail's behavior; the girl was human.

Storming over to where Sivan still lay on the ground, I pushed the human off of him and hauled him to his feet. Holding him at eye level by the collar of his shirt, I growled, "How did she find us? I distinctly remember you telling us that absolutely no one could locate this place, not even Him, yet here's this pathetic little human traipsing in here!"

"I-I swear Firice, I don't know how s-she got in!" Sivan whimpered, I could smell the fear radiating off of him. "All the barriers should be up, no one can g-get through unless they k-know the way!"

"Then how do you explain this?" I gestured to the girl with my free hand; Mikhail was helping her to her feet.

"Lin told me how to get here; she said you could help Haku!" The girl's voice was strained with the worry her eyes so clearly expressed. I swear, these humans didn't know how to keep anything to themselves. "Please! You have to help him!"

"Who are you anyway?" I snarled, dropping Sivan. I knew that I was being uncharacteristically talkative, but I was pissed off.

"Haku asked me to come here, my name is Chihiro. Please, Haku is in real trouble!"

"What's wrong with him?" Sivan inquired, brushing himself off. I swear, he is so anal retentive sometimes, one speck of dust on his clothing and he would have a heart attack.

"I don't know exactly. All I saw was Haku in a dark place, and he was hurt, really badly. Please! You have to save him!" The girl, Chihiro, was wringing the hem of her badly torn shirt into a knot as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other repeatedly, as if she couldn't stay still.

"And how would you know such a thing?" Mikhail asked from nearby, his voice unusually quiet, as if trying to hide how it sounded.

"Please! Can't you just trust me for now? There's no time to explain! Haku could be dead!" She reminded me of a ten year old throwing a tantrum, trying to get her way.

"Answer his question, girl." I replied, my voice going cold, belying the fact that I would not tolerate any more such nonsense. She seemed to understand that and took a deep breath.

"Haku and Lin came to me about three days ago now, asking me to return to the spirit world. I was trapped here before, about seven years ago, by accident. That's how I met Lin and Haku. When they came to me in my world, the human world, he gave me a pendant." With this she pulled a small silver disk from under her ruined shirt. Looking closer, I saw that it was inscribed with runes of seeing. "He told me to use it if I wanted to see what was happening. I was bored in study hall today in school so I decided to see if he was okay. What I saw was Haku chained to a wall, well I guess it was a wall since he seemed to be vertical, and he was bleeding from numerous wounds. I don't know what is happening, but please, I don't want him to die! I lo-" Before she could say more, she clamped her mouth shut, her face gaining a reddish tinge.

"Here, have a seat." Mikhail offered, pulling out a chair and up righting the table. "It's best that you know what is really going on, unless either of you two have any objections?" This last statement was directed towards Sivan and me, and while I had no qualms about it, Sivan was of a different opinion.

"You will tell her absolutely NOTHING!" He barked, flaring up like a bird making itself seem bigger than it actually is. "You have no idea if what she is saying is true! She could be a spy for Him, sent to rat us all out! Plus, she's human! She would not understand anything going on! Why would she even care!"

"Don't make assumptions just because of her race, Sivan." Mikhail's voice was low, and it trembled with anger. "I highly doubt that she would be working for Him, she…doesn't seem like the type. Now I would suggest that you keep your tongue to yourself unless you want it cut out and force fed to you piece by piece."

I was proud of Mikhail; I was finally rubbing off on him.

With Sivan shut up for the time being, Mikhail turned to face Chihiro again. "If you were here seven human years ago, then you remember Yubaba, correct?" Chihiro shuddered at the mention of the previous owner of the onsen, and nodded. "Well, she has been replaced, with someone far worse than she ever was. He rules with an iron fist, dominating the entirety of this area of the spirit realm, and is spreading His reach to other worlds as well. In time, He may even take hold on the human world. The onsen is now also a house of prostitution, and I must add that none of the people sold there, man or woman, is there willingly. No one with an ounce of sanity dare to oppose him."

"Then what are you? You mean you all serve this terrible person?" Chihiro sounded confused, seeing that Sivan's speech earlier had probably given her the impression that we were in no way involved with Him.

"We are the insane ones who do oppose him." Sivan mumbled.

"We are the Resistance." Mikhail finished.

Well? Whatcha think? Please review; please let me know that I am loved. The position for editor is still open! I have the next chapter all ready, so as soon as 5 reviews are in, I'll post it!


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